CRONE PEDAGOGIES: EMANCIPATORY PRAXIS

Abstract Confronting ableism and ageism in gerontological spaces promotes an intergenerational praxis rooted in an ethics of care. “Crone pedagogies” signal teaching and learning that raises consciousness collectively across generations by confronting the coloniality of everyday life and challenging the ways in which people are forced to cope with unjust systems (Philips, Adams, & Salter, 2015). This framework extends from the critical gerontological work and mentorship of Carroll Estes. The emancipatory potential flourishes from the restoration of historical memory (Martín-Baró, 1994) and the futurity that intergenerational work embodies. This presentation features examples from teaching practice and scholarship, within and outside the academy, while encouraging real-time experiential learning through reflective awareness about intergenerational access within the conference space.

nursing home administrators (NHAs) and nursing staff at baseline and 6-month follow-up.Using validated items from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the surveys inquired about 80 infection control best-practice activities (yes/no) related to preparedness, visitation policies, communication, protocols, management of deceased residents, education, staffing, personal protective equipment (PPE), and hygiene practices.We also assessed readiness for change and implementation climate in nursing homes with validated scales.We assessed changes in infection control practices and implementation scale scores between baseline and 6-month follow-up.A total of 197 unique participants from 126 nursing homes responded to our surveys.We found that visitation decisions were less likely made on a case-bycase basis by the end of 6 months (91% vs.76%, p=0.025) and an increase in informational materials developed for residents and families at the appropriate reading level (88% vs. 100%, p=0.021) was observed.We also saw changes in some individual items, e.g., an increase in delegating to nonphysician staff

EMANCIPATORY PEDAGOGY IN GERONTOLOGICAL SPACES
Chair: Brittney Pond Co-Chair: Nicholas DiCarlo Discussant: Brittney Pond Awareness of the field of gerontology has been bolstered by increased training and education programs and other critical pedagogies in several disciplines in higher education.Public and philanthropic initiatives have also supported the development of scholars and researchers in this field (Gross & Eshbaugh, 2011;Merz et al., 2017;Snyder, Wesley, Lin & May, 2008;Wesley, 2005).Furthermore, research notes that incorporating experiences of LGBTQ+ older adults in gerontological spaces can help to address a lack of representation in higher education and provide critical training to support LGBTQ+ older adults (Lipinski, Wilson, Kortes-Miller & Stinchcombe, 2022;Smith, Altman, Meeks & Hinrichs, 2019).This symposium aims to discuss critical pedagogies and emancipatory gerontology in higher education through an intersectional lens.We aim to address the question, where do critical pedagogies flourish, where are they needed, and in what ways?Presenters discuss multiple aspects of this question, describing the ways in which access is a critical component of emancipatory pedagogies, including 1) how we learn and teach abolitionist gerontology in interdisciplinary spaces 2) confronting ableism and ageism in gerontological spaces as part of intergenerational pedagogical praxis and 3) highlighting the need for LGBTQ+ aging education in curricula by discussing a student-led "queering gerontology" campaign with tangible outcomes.

CRONE PEDAGOGIES: EMANCIPATORY PRAXIS Nicholas DiCarlo, UCSF / Hunter College / Routledge, New York City, New York, United States
Confronting ableism and ageism in gerontological spaces promotes an intergenerational praxis rooted in an ethics of care."Crone pedagogies" signal teaching and learning that raises consciousness collectively across generations by confronting the coloniality of everyday life and challenging the ways in which people are forced to cope with unjust systems (Philips, Adams, & Salter, 2015).This framework extends from the critical gerontological work and mentorship of Carroll Estes.The emancipatory potential flourishes from the restoration of historical memory (Martín-Baró, 1994) and the futurity that intergenerational work embodies.This presentation features examples from teaching practice and scholarship, within and outside the academy, while encouraging real-time experiential learning through reflective awareness about intergenerational access within the conference space.

TEACHING ABOLITIONIST GERONTOLOGY IN INTERDISCIPLINARY LEARNING SPACES Ian Johnson, University of Texas-San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States
The discourse surrounding population aging has now infiltrated prisons, jails, and the 'institutional circuit' of homeless services, mental health systems, substance abuse treatment, and safety-net healthcare.Students of gerontology must be prepared to consider the experiences of people most affected by the criminal-legal apparatus.Conversely, those training to be social service and healthcare professionals within and in opposition to these systems must be prepared to.Through a conceptual review of the literature and experiential knowledge gathered through curriculum design and implementation, this presentation will outline a pedagogical framework for understanding the effects of transcarceration across the life course and in later life.This framework will be presented in conjunction with tools and strategies for guiding and enhancing interdisciplinary dialogue about the intersections of eldercare and punishment.This presentation will prompt discussion on the responsibilities of aging care providers and gerontological researchers in realizing an abolitionist future.The marginalization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer plus (LGBTQ+) content in health and human services education is well documented and varies considerably due to instructors' attitudes as well as government and institutional policies intended to censor conversations about sexual orientation and gender identity.Lack of LGBTQ+ content in the curriculum may require creative solutions to fill the gaps in mainstream education which often goes unchallenged due to dominant heteronormative theory, literature, and teaching.Without adequate training, service providers may not have sufficient knowledge and skills for competent practice with LGBTQ+ older adults.This presentation bridges critical pedagogy with emancipatory gerontology to reflect upon a student led "queering gerontology" campaign to raise awareness about LGBTQ+ aging.Applying principles from participatory action research, the presenters analyze personal narratives in combination with program evaluation data to describe our process conceptualizing, implementing, and evaluating the campaign.We found that students are eager to learn about LGBTQ+ aging experiences and have innovative ideas to close the gaps in knowledge caused by heteronormative educational contexts.Supporting student led learning, intersectional coalition building, and intergenerational wisdom sharing were central to combatting programmatic and institutional constraints that limit LGBTQ+ content in the curriculum.The presentation concludes by highlighting future teaching and research directions that support students in their pursuit of knowledge while challenging heteronormative structures of higher education.

HEALTH AND FUNCTION FROM MID LIFE TO LATE ADULTHOOD: FINDINGS FROM THE STUDY OF WOMEN'S HEALTH ACROSS THE NATION (SWAN)
Chair: Carrie Karvonen-Gutierrez Discussant: Nancy Fugate Woods Midlife (age 40-64) is characterized by physiologic, psychosocial and situational change, and a time when women experience the seminal endocrinological event of menopause.From a lifecourse perspective, understanding the relationship between midlife and older adult health is critical, particularly for identifying modifiable factors in midlife that impact later life health and functioning.Previous research has demonstrated that midlife health and functioning is dynamic and thus potentially amenable to intervention, though there remain crucial gaps in our understanding of this period.The Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN) is an observational multi-racial/ethnic (White, Black, Chinese, Japanese, Hispanic) longitudinal study of 3,302 women recruited in 1996 from 7 sites in the United States (Boston, MA; Newark, NJ; Pittsburgh, PA; Detroit-area, MI; Chicago, IL; Oakland, CA; Los Angeles, CA).Over the past 27 years, women have participated in up to 17 near-annual study visits, spanning from midlife (age 42-52 years at baseline) to later life (age 69-79 years).This symposium features new science from SWAN including: an examination of rate of change in depressive symptoms across the menopausal transition (Avis); the impact of impaired glucose levels in midlife on muscle quality and power (Leis); the importance of sleep regularity for cognitive function (Derby); and the association of urinary incontinence with disability (Dugan).The symposium provides information regarding data and biospecimen access for investigators interested in using SWAN resources (Brooks).The Discussant will consider the implications of studying midlife health and function in relation to health and well-being in late adulthood.